Colour chords, i.e. combinations of several colours of the same intensity and quality, are probably the most challenging option – but also the most individual. This could take the form of, say, a mustard yellow sofa with blue and putty-coloured cushions set against a blue wall. Like fashion, such colour chords are a matter of taste, and they tend to meet with a far more enthusiastic reception elsewhere in the interiors segment than they do in the bathroom. But when they’re done right, they create a subtle, tasteful, multicoloured look that turns any bathroom into a highly original gem.

Still, when it comes to bathroom design, arrangements that comply with certain types of colour harmony tend to meet with greater consensus. Colour harmonies can be created out of neighbouring hues (e.g. blues and greens), by using only “cool” colours (like blues and violets) or only “warm” shades (orange, yellow, red) or by combining chromatic and achromatic colours (e.g. various shades of blue combined with several shades of taupe and grey). The goal is to achieve an optimally balanced composition that is perceived as pleasant, and the colours are usually selected on the basis of colour wheels or colour cubes.

Colour chords and colour harmonies are possible in all colour ranges. What’s important when it comes to designing a bathroom is that one colour sets the tone while three to four others are used to underpin the harmonious impression. Every single nuance matters, and choosing the right products and materials is extremely challenging for the bathroom planner. Various programs and apps are available for helping with the selection of suitable colours (e.g. Capture CC from Adobe or Colourpin II from NCS).